Heel-lasting mechanism.



M. BROOK.

HEEL LASTING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED 0GT.16, 190a. RENEWED JULY '1. 1914.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

1 0 LI THQ. WASITING TO UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHIAS BROCK, ()F BQSTON, MASSACI-IUSlETTS, ASSIG'I TOR- TO UNITED SHOE MA- CHINE-RY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

HEEL-LASTING MECHANISM.

Epecification of Letters Patent.

Patented A11 18, 1914.

Application filed October 16, 1908, Serial No. 522,987. Renewed July 7, 1914. Serial No. 849,564.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, hflri'rirnms BROOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of lllassachusetts, have invented certain Tmprovcments in Heel-Lasting Mechanisms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention. relates to heel bands for use in machines for lasting boots and shoes.

In accordance with a very important feature of this invention a. heel embracing band is formed of a composition consisting largely of balata and preferably of balata from which the resin has been largely removed. In order to obtain the best results these bands are not vulcanized but are molded with a very moderate degree of heat, under great pressure. They are therefore to be absolutely distinguished from soft vulcanized india rubber, or caoutcliouc, which is wholly useless for the present purpose, and equally from hard india rubber or vulcanite such as combs and similar articles are made from, which is vulcanized with excess of sulfur and higher temperature than soft rubber and is relatively brittle, is less elastic, and is unsatisfactory in its action on shoe leather because it discolors colored leathers like russet leathers, and the oils and chemicals in the leathers react objectionably on the vulcanite, and rapidly deteriorate it. The inner face of a balata band, when subjected. to pressure, and a very moderate degree of heat, acquires avery smooth, hard, and glassy finish which it permanently retains during long use, and a band so finished does not discolor any shoe uppers, which a leather hand does do on fancy shoes. This heel band has for this reason alone a greater range of utility than any other band now known. Another advantage of this'band is that it conforms more truly to the last than a band made of rubber, leather, or of any other known material which it is practical to use, and is so perfectly elastic that it has been known to return to its correct shape after each lasting operation during, in some instances, daily use for a period of over two years, whereas a leather band soon loses its correct shape and much of its resilience, and other ma-v terials soon break at the central rear part or neck, from repeated opening and closing movements of the band. It is not necessary that the balata gum be purified for this use but a residue heretofore regarded as of small value, which remains after the purer gums have been extracted for other purposes, is found to give good results. I have found that for certain work an improved heel band is produced by mixing with the balata fibrous material, such, for example, as finely comminuted leather trimmings. A heel band formed of such a mixture of balata and fibrous material is a. further fea ture of this invention. By increasing or diminishing the portion of such material the frictional qualities of the band can be varied. I also find that with this composi tion wiiich conforms itself to the contour of the last and so distributes the pressure over a large area, a substantial amount of friction of the band upon the shoe for tightening the upper to the last can be utilized without danger of leaving marks upon the surface of highly finished or colored leathers. The presence of the leather fibers in the produces a heel band in which appear to be combined desirable characteristics of balata and of leather.

Another feature of this invention consists in providing a novel construction of heel band to obviate the injurious results heretofore experienced from the wear of heel end tacks upon the band. These tacks are in sorted in the heel end of the assembled shoe adjacent to the back seam to fasten the back scam against lateral displacement in the pulling-over operation and to hold the shoe stock in proper relation to the plane of the heel bottom. These tacks do not require to be fully driven and in practice are left projecting various distances and their heads scratch or tear and rapidly wear the portion of the heel band with which they engage. These tacks are not always driven in the same relation to the last so that there is a considerable area in the inner surface of the band which is roughened and injured by them. This roughened or abraded surface of the band sometimes leaves objectionable marks on the upper engaged by it and the life of the band is substantially shortened by reason of the wear at this point. In accordance with this feature of the present invention, a heel band is formed with a recess or depression in its rear inner face covering the region in which the tack is usually located. This recess may receive the heads of the tacks and thereby largely avoid the mutilation of the heel band heretofore perienced. The only portion, if any, of this heel band which will be roughened by tacks is the recessed surface of the band and that surface does not come into such contact with the upper as to mark the shoe. The recess or depr ion preferably does not extend entirely through the thickness of the band so that the band is not objectionably weakened by reason of this new formation.

lVhile advantage may be gained by leaving the recess or depression in the inner rear face of the band as above described, this recess may with good results under some conditions be filled with an elerrent having characteristics adapting it to resist the wear and abrasion caused. by contacting with the heel end tacks.

A further feature of this invention thcrofore contemplates the provision in a. heel embracing band of an area located to rece've the wear of the heel end tacks and having greater wear resisting qualities than has the body portion of the band. This area may advantageously be formed of material which is less impressionable than that of the inner face of the band and which is adapted when the band is closed about the shoe to force an imperfectly driven tack into the shoe. r rdvantageously this hard filling piece may be lformed as a readily removable element which can be renewed from time to time as may be desirable. The head portion of the heel end tack will always constitute more or less of a projection from the heel end of the last and the filling piece may, if desired, be

forzred of less thickness than the depth of the depression so that when it is in place the area rcn'iains which is depressed slightly with relation to the general surface of the inner face of the band. In the embodiment of the invention shown a composition band is employed and the filling piece consists of a properly shaped portion of suitable hard leather or fiber which may be fastened in place with the requisite degree of security by a lacing of fine wire or cord or by cement.

These and other features of this invention including certain combinations of parts and more important details will be explained in connection with the following description and then pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of so much of the heel lasting mechanism embodying this invention as is necessary for illustrating this invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is an enlarged view.

The heel band preferably is composed of a novel material. containing the substance balata or its equivalent. This material, which is a gum obtained from a sapotaceous and s suhiected in u e. These are highly des-. '2 hle cl\aracteristics of a heel. band upon the contour of which much depends in securing properly lasted heels.

l t is well known that heel bands made of leather well as those made of other material heretofore proposed soon lose some of the desirable features of contour with rch they are initially provided. T his is ticulaly true of the shape of the upper of the band which cooperates with the wiptws in forming or shaping a shoe bottom at the angular edge of the heel seat. l l hen 'Lh' edge portion of the band becomes worn or trtSfOl'tCtl it fails to shape the shoe stock and the finished shoe has a more or less irregularly formed rand crease which detracts from the appearance of the shoe and also causes difficulties in the heel edge shaping operations in which the rand crease is commonly used as a guide. A heel band formed of balata or of a composition into which balata enters largely will retain for a long period the details of contour of its work onga 'ing face. 1 have found that the best results are obtained with this substance by not resorting to vulcanizatioln but the bands are subjected to pressure and a moderate de- ;1ee of heat whereby their inner faces are made to acquire when molded a smooth, harth glassy finish which is permanent and will not mar the surface of the finest leather. 'lhc material. of the band also has been found not to cause discoloration of any of the colored upper lathers. such as russe leather. or the like.

ifreferably the resins a e very largely removed from the balata which employed in. making these bands and also preferably there is mixed with the balat a fibrous material which may advan tageously be in a finely comminuted condition. 1 have employed fine leather trimmings for this purpose with good results.

The heel band is recessed on the inner side at the rear end to receive the head of the tack which usually inserted into the end of the shoe near the back seam to hold this portion of the upper from being displaced vertically during the lasting operation. This recess may. if desirech be filled with a piece 141-7 of wear resisting material which can advantageously be relatively harder than the material of the heel band and which will be fastened in place by lacing or cement or other means which permit it to be readily removed and replaced when it be comes worn. This filling piece will prefertor-ted by the tensions and friction to which ably be formed of hard leather or compressed fiber and will be of less thickness than the depth of the recess so that a depression will. remain below the general inner surface of the band to accommodate the thickness of the head of the heel endgtack.

The. heel band is preferably supported and operated as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, by a chain 270 certain links 272 of which have depending arms provided with inturned lin gers 274- the upturned tips 275 of which are received in recesses formed in. the inner face of the band at its lower edge. Adjustment at 276 provides for taking up wear, or the screw at 276 may remain loose and a spring 278 may be used to hold the band close up against the lower face of the heel seat wipers, Fig.2. The front ends of the chain 270 re connected to angle levers 19 1 fulcrumed on endwise movable slide bars 192. The levers are made adjustable relatively to the chain by a screw rod 280 and lock nuts 198. and are connected to fixed studs by springs 195.

. Operation of the band is produced by power transmitted from a cross-head 190 to the slide bars 192 through swinging links 282 to tension the band forwardly and close its ends. Wedge faces 284 on the bars 192 slide in contact with the ends 285 of floating yoke 286 which is guided by slots and pins 288 as in Fig. 1 and acts as an equalizer for aflording like band closing pressure upon the two sides of unsymmetrical right and left lasts, all as more fully set forth and claimed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,002,818 granted Sept. 12, 1911 on my application which was a division of this present application.

Having explained the nature of this invention and described a preferred embodiment thereof 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesz- 1. In aheel lasting mechanism, a heel embracing band provided in its rear inner face with a recess or depression of less depth than the thickness of the band arranged to receive the usual heel end tack of an assembled shoe.

2. A lasting machine, having, in combination, a heel embracing band having thatportion of its rear inner face which is liable to be engaged with and roughened by the usual heel end tack of an assembled shoe depressed to a depth less than the thickness of the band so that said roughened surface will not mar the shoe upper when the shoe is embraced by the band.

3. In a heel lasting mechanism, a heel embracing band formed with a depression in the rear portion of its inner face, and a filling piece of material less impressionable than the band adapted to be fitted into said depression.

41. In a heel lasting mechanism, a heel embracing band having in the inner face of its rear portion a depression or recess of less depth than the thickness of the band and a removable filling piece applied in said depression to take the wear from the heel end tacks of the shoes being operated upon.

5. In a heel lasting mechanism, a heel embracing band formed with a depression in the rear portion of its inner face, and a filling piece removably secured in said depression, said filling piece being formed of relatively hard material adapted to force an insufliciently driven heel end tack farther into the shoe when the band is caused to embrace the shoe.

6. in a lasting machine, a heel embracing band having an area at its rear inner surface in position to engage the heel end tack and which is less impressionable than the heel engaging surface of the pad surrounding said area.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a heel embracing band for a lasting machine having in its rear inner face and covering a limited area liable to be engaged by the heel end tacks an element less impressionable than the face of the remaining portion of the band and of sufficient hardness to force into the last an insufficiently driven heel end tack.

8. As a new article of manufacture a composition heel band provided on a limited area of the rear portion of its inner face with a removable lining element which is less im pressionable than the surrounding part of the band, and is adapted to take the wear and abrasion resulting from engagement with the usual heel end tacks of shoes which are presented to the band.

9. As an article of manufacture a heel embracing band having applied to its rear inner face a wear resisting element of-less impressionable material than the inner surface of the band having a work engaging surface slightly depressed with relation to the general work engaging surface of the inner face of the band for the purpose described.

10. As an article of manufacture a heel embracing band having in its rear inner face a depression, and a removable filling piece of less im1n'cssionable material than the inner surface of the band secured in said depression by lacings extending through the filling piece and the band, substantially as described.

11. As an improved article of manufacture, a heel band the inner work-engaging surface of wiich comprises unvulcanized balata.

12. As an improved article of manufacture, a heel band the inner work-engaging surface of which comprises unvulcanized balata from which the resin has been largely removed.

13. As an improved article of manufactore a heel band. the inner wmrk-engaging surface of which comprises balata mixed with fibrous material.

14-. As an improved article of manufacture, a heel band the inner W0rkenguging surzice of which comprises balata and finely connninuted leather.

15. As an improved article of manufac- 10 tiire, a heel band having an inner Work engaging surface composed of balzita from which the resin has been largely removed, and finely cci'nininutecl leather.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificationv in the presence of 15 two subscribing Witnesses.

MATTHIAS BROGK.

Witnesses ARTHUR L. RUssELL, ELIZABETH C. COUPE.

Clinics of this patent may be obtained for five semis each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents,

' Washington, D. C. 

